Gary Numan's first two solo albums achieved gold certification and reached number one in the charts. In contrast, his third effort sold so poorly that the record company were forced to use left over "Dance" picture labels on Numan's next album.
This is a 2018 reissue is pressed on two purple vinyl discs and housed in a gatefold sleeve; it is a collector's dream. And yet, six years after it was released, this edition is still available for purchase at the amazing price of £21. It seems there has never really been a demand for this album.
So what's wrong here? Well, firstly the title is a complete paradox: there's simply nothing on this record to make anyone want to dance. The rhythms here aren't the robotic funk of old and now seem to take an angular approach that make them difficult to navigate. A strange facet of this album is its near constant use of programmed Roland CR-78 rhythms with live drumming dubbed over the top. Unfortunately the drummers are never quite in time and the effect is intensely annoying to me. Numan really should have just let the machines do it.
To my ears this album sounds more like an artistic statement than a pop record and the involvement of esteemed collaborators Roger Taylor and Mick Karn suggest a level of self indulgence that erodes the quality of the material. The sound of the album seemed to leave casual listeners behind and this remains one of Numan's most dispensable.
There are some reasonably good tracks on here with the single "She's Got Claws" being the standout. This version of the album features largely the same content as the original but substitutes "Moral" for a new Extended Version and adds some b-sides, along with the title track that was culled from the original track listing. Also included is the Paul Gardiner single "Stormtrooper in Drag" which featured Numan as co-composer, producer, musician and vocalist. Fittingly the Paul Gardiner single is one of the best things on this otherwise lacklustre affair. 1/5
